Lagos adopts epochal decision, decentralizes its building approval process

If truth be told, it is a new beginning for Lagos. Reason? The government has brought to the fore a new legislation stating that it has decentralized its building approval process and this is only in order to further speed up the processing of building plan approvals in the state. What is more, all at once, in its efforts to ensure consolidation of its development efforts around the state, the government made it clear that the state’s 2010 budget would give emphasis to the completion of on-going projects than initiation of new ones.

Speaking on this, Opeyemi Bamidele, State Commissioner for Information and Strategy elucidated the fact that from this time forth building approvals for one- two floor buildings will be made by the General Manager Lagos Physical Planning Development Authority (LAS-PPDA), while 3 -4 floor buildings and 5 -6 floor buildings will respectively be approved by Permanent Secretary and the Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The State Commissioner was speaking at a joint press briefing on the outcome of the three-day retreat of the State Executive Council and Body of Permanent Secretaries held at the Eko Tourist Resort, Akodo at the weekend Bamidele where he said all approvals for seven floor buildings and above will be made by the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

Aside from this, in accordance with the Commissioner, the demand for the payment of N50, 000 and production of title as condition for seeking planning information has been abolished without delay, adding that all information concerning building plans could now be obtained online.

In a statement signed by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Hakeem Bello, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is going to work in future on building plan approvals founded on evidence of full payment pending provision of actual title document adding that the office of an Ombudsman has equally been created for members of the public to allow building plan approval applicants lodge their complaints where final approval is delayed beyond three months from date of filing of application.